Determining Film Exposure

Determining film exposure (This information is largely extracted from Black and White Photography: A Basic Manual by Henry Horenstein [an excellent book])

I suggest that you use two or more of these methods and compare the results. They should be very close. If not, you may be doing something wrong.

1. Take a general reading.

For predominately white or light subjects, add more light-by the equivalent of one f-stop or more-than the meter suggests.

For predominately dark subjects, cut back on the light the meter suggests; close down the aperture or make the shutter speed faster.

2. Use a gray card. Photographers sometimes use a gray card to reflect an average amount of light falling onto the subject rather than the light reflected off specific parts of the subject. To use the gray card, place it in front of the subject, and aim it towards the camera position. Take a meter reading off the card only; take care not to cast a shadow onto the card while reading the light. Use the f-stop and shutter speed combination indicated by the meter without adjustment.

3. Expose off skin. Skin can substitute for a gray card. Take a light reading off the palm of a hand, flattened out and positioned directly in from of the subject, toward the camera position. Or take the reading off the subject’s face. Be careful not to cast a shadow onto the hand or face when taking the reading. For ‘average’ Caucasian skin, add the equivalent of one f-stop more exposure. If the meter reads f16 at 1/250, use instead f11 @ 1/250 or f16 @ 1/125. Dark skin may simulate a gray card perfectly, so use the meter reading without adjustment. Extremely dark skin may need as much as one-half to one f-stop less exposure than the meter suggests.

4. Read incident light. Incident-light meters read light falling onto the subject rather thanlight reflecting off the subject. They do not read specific dark, gray, or light areas of a subject. As such they provide an average exposure for the given subject lighting conditions, much like a gray card.

5. Average the shadows and highlights. Since meters read for middle gray, the correct exposure will be somewhere between the meter readings for the dark and light areas of the subject. Meter a dark area, then a light area, and average the two readings. If the reading off the dark area is f4 at 1/60, use f8 at 1/60.

Most of the time this exposure system works well enough. However, the dark and light areas metered should be approximately equal in darkness and lightness. Do not average meter readings from a jet black car and mildly tanned Caucasian skin.

6. Bracket. Bracketing means taking exposures on either side of the recommendations of the meter. It is a safe way to guarantee good exposure. If the meter says f8 @ 1/250. You might also take a photo at f5.6 @ 1/250 and f11@ 1/250. This produces several exposures of the same image. At least one exposure should be ideal.

7. Expose for shadows and compensate. A more exact system for exposing film is to take the meter reading in the dark shadow area of the subject and then make an adjustment to that reading. The area should be the darkest part of the subject where detail is desired in the final print.

Let’s say a dark sweater represents the deepest shadow area where detail is desired. Read off the sweater only. (A spot meter is helpful.) Suppose the meter indicates f2.8 at 1/60. Use instead an exposure of two f-stops (or the equivalent) less, such as f5.6 at 1/60, f 4 at 1/125, or f2.8 at 1/250.

If the darkest areas of the subject are not particularly dark, the adjustment should be for one stop, rather than two.

8. Sunny 16 rule. On a sunny day set aperture to f/16 and shutter speed to the [reciprocal of the] ISO film speed [or ISO setting] for a subject in direct sunlight. So if you are using 400 speed film on a very sunny day, you would set your aperture at f16 and your shutter speed at 1/400.

As with other light readings, shutter speed can be changed as long as the f-number is altered to compensate, e.g. 1/250 second at f/11 gives equivalent exposure to 1/125 second at f/16.

An elaborated form of the Sunny 16 rule is to set shutter speed nearest to the reciprocal of the ISO film speed / setting and f-number according to this table:

Aperture Lighting Conditions Shadow Detail

f/22 Snow/Sand Dark with sharp edges

f/16 Sunny Distinct

f/11 Slight Overcast Soft around edges

f/8 Overcast Barely visible

f/5.6 Heavy Overcast No shadows

f/4 Open Shade/Sunset No shadows

Add One Stop Backlighting n/a

Color from B&W: info for your amusement and consideration

The Empire that was Russia. Great collection of early color work. Here is a nice Boston.com article about that Russian photographer.

A very long thread in the Large Format Photography forum with some great information on the process. You may have to be a member to see the photos. You an easily join for free.

A French blog about the topic featuring lots of examples.

Early Technicolor processes worked in a similar way only using 2 color filters.

A PDF manual for an old camera that captures color this way.

A very nerdy write up on color filter arrays for digital cameras. It explains how color is made from a monochromatic sensor.

Another French site on the process.

Part of a book describing early color photographic processes. More on early color processes.

Millennials: A Portrait of Generation Next

January 9 - February 5, reception Friday, January 13, 6-8pm. The PR person already has the postcard made up and sent to the printer. The gallery will cover the reception cost.
Once I get the images via email, I will combine them into one zipped folder and send them to whoever wants to put together a website or FB page.

Millennials: A Portrait of Generation Next

These works endeavor to identify and explore the characteristics of Generation Y: people ranging from age 18 to 29. These Millennial artists used photography to explore and illustrate facets of personal and generational identity including the sexuality, technology, morality, and mentality of the Millennial Generation.
Collectively, these images construct a body of humanity, visualizing more than the face of one, but the many faces of an entire generation.

Things to turn in by Friday December 16th at 2:30

• Diptychs
• 2 Landscape and Reclamation Prints
  
• close up shots - even just the neg is fine
  
• 2 images for the Millenials show. Email me scans for use with publicity.
  
• At least 4 other prints (there were multiple weeks were one print was due such as a print demonstrating shift, etc...)
  
• 1 Portrait image (the very first thing you did)
  
• 2 framed Millenials prints due by Friday, December 16th at 2:30pm.

EXTRA CREDIT OPPURTUNITY - email me your cleaned up color image (film to be put in my office mail box by Friday @7). This is no longer a mandatory assignment.

NOTE: a general postcard for our show and other 'projects' is already at the print shop. They just needed to get it done.

Times I will be around during Final Exams Week

Wednesday, December 14th from 8:00-10:00am.

Thursday, December 15th from 12:30-2:30.

Friday, December 16th from 12:30-2:30.

As long as you have turned in your cameras and any other equipment that you have checked out (or received permission to hang on to), then you don't have to attend your final exam session on Wednesday morning. If you forget to turn in your camera or any other equipment that you have checked out, then you must return it during one of these time periods. Your prints for the Millenials exhibit, as well as any other work that you want a grade for, must be turned in by Friday at 2:30. I will be in my office during these times.

Interesting Triptychs

Interesting Triptychs

Summary of the remainder of the semester

Today's class was cancelled as there was no power in the building.

Next class is a work session. Status check on where the exhibition committees are at. Discuss artist statement in particular. Your color film is due. I will take it to Troy, MI for processing. Hope to have it back by Tuesday's class.

Tuesday, Dec. 6 we will be going over to the museum to see some prints by some incredible photographers including Duan Michaels, Man Ray, Ansel Adams, etc. Please arrive by 8:45. That will conclude by 10:30. We will do a demo on scanning LF film if I haven't done so on Tuesday.

Thursday, Dec. 8th will be our final critique. All selections for the Millenials exhibit must be made. Your framed prints for the Tis' the Secor exhibit are due.

Wednesday, December 14th. 8:00-10:00. This is our scheduled final exam day. On this day, I need your two framed prints for the Millenials exhibit. In addition, I need a digital copy of your color image and the two images for the exhibit. They should be sized to 2000 pixels at the longest dimension.